Palestinian leaders and neighboring countries have condemned Israel’s targeting of unarmed Palestinians collecting aid in Gaza, in an attack that killed more than 100 people.
The office of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said a “horrific massacre carried out by the Israeli occupying army” had taken place, following reports on Thursday that Israeli forces had opened fire on people receiving aid southwest of Gaza City.
Gaza’s health ministry said at least 112 people had been killed and more than 750 injured, and called on the international community to “urgently intervene” to establish a ceasefire as “the only way to protect civilians.
“The killing of a large number of innocent civilian victims who risked their livelihoods is an integral part of the genocidal war waged by the occupation government against our people,” Abbas’ office was quoted as saying by the Wafa news agency.
“The Israeli occupation authorities bear full responsibility and will be held accountable before international courts. »
The Palestinian group Hamas called the attack “a heinous massacre added to the long series of massacres committed by the Zionist criminal entity against our Palestinian people.”
In a statement, the group, which is fighting Israel in Gaza, said the deadly attack on aid seekers was “unprecedented in the history of war crimes” and part of the country’s “starvation war” by Israel against the Palestinians in the enclave.
He called on the United Nations Security Council and Arab states to take decisions compelling Israel to end its massacres, ethnic cleansing, genocide and violations of international law in Gaza.
Hamas also said it held Israel and the US administration of President Joe Biden responsible for the escalation of the war.
Western “complicity”
After the attack was announced, the Israeli military claimed that civilians in Gaza had attacked aid trucks and that dozens of people had been trampled – although this was disputed by witness accounts.
“At one point the trucks were overwhelmed and the drivers of the trucks, who were civilian drivers from Gaza, rushed into the crowd, ultimately killing, from what I understand, dozens of people,” he said. Israeli government spokesperson Avi Hyman told reporters.
“It’s obviously a tragedy, but we’re not sure of the details yet.”
Palestinian novelist Yusri al-Ghoul, who witnessed the incident, spoke to Tel Aviv Tribune from Camp Shati in Gaza City.
“They (Israel) always make their propaganda… I heard them when they insult us and shout at the Palestinians, even the children… (saying) we will kill you every day,” he said.
“(If it was because of overcrowding), why were the knees and elbows affected? …Why did Israeli tanks target Palestinian civilians?
The White House said it was investigating reports of Israeli shooting of Palestinians, calling it a “serious incident.”
“We mourn the loss of innocent lives and recognize the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, where innocent Palestinians are simply trying to feed their families,” a White House National Security Council spokesperson said in a statement Thursday.
Biden later said Washington was verifying “two competing versions of what happened,” before adding that the killings would make negotiations on a Gaza ceasefire more difficult. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the United States had asked Israel to provide answers.
UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said he was appalled by “reports of the killing and injury of hundreds of people”.
“Even after nearly five months of brutal hostilities, Gaza still has the capacity to shock us,” Griffiths said. “Life is disappearing from Gaza at a terrifying speed. »
International condemnation
Egypt, neighboring Israel and the south of the Gaza Strip, condemned the attack.
“We condemn Israel’s inhumane targeting of… unarmed Palestinian civilians at the Nabulsi roundabout in northern Gaza,” the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “We consider targeting peaceful citizens rushing to collect their share of aid to be a shameful crime and a blatant violation of international law. »
The Jordanian Foreign Ministry also issued a statement saying: “We condemn the brutal targeting by the Israeli occupying forces of the gathering of Palestinians waiting for help at the Nabulsi roundabout near Al-Rashid Street in Gaza. »
Saudi Arabia also joined the condemnation. A Foreign Ministry statement said Riyadh rejected “violations of international humanitarian law anywhere and under any circumstances”, and called on the international community to force Israel to open secure humanitarian corridors to Gaza.
For her part, Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Petra De Sutter declared herself “horrified by the news of today’s massacre”.
“Murdering people waiting in line for essential humanitarian aid? De Sutter wrote in a social media post. “This is a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and goes completely against the provisional measures (of the International Court of Justice).”
Mustafa Barghouti, the secretary general of the Palestinian National Initiative, called the attack a “horrible crime” committed by Israel.
“These are civilians who are starving because Israel has been depriving them of food for months and not allowing them to get supplies for over a month now,” he told Tel Aviv Tribune from Moscow. .
“And then they try to justify it by saying that the Palestinians are responsible for being killed by the same Israeli soldiers? It’s incredible.”
Barghouti also denounced the “silence” of Western countries and accused their governments of being “complicit in these crimes and of allowing them to happen.”
“This should stop immediately,” he said. “This cannot stop without an immediate, permanent, complete and total ceasefire. »
